When six Sikh men and women in Oak Creek, Wisconsin were murdered while at worship, for the first time in many years I thought of my Sikh uncle. In the weeks that followed the shooting, I found myself talking with my mother about him and his personality, history, brothers, sisters, and friends. In the 1960s,… Read More Religious Freedom and Dialogue: From Vatican II to Oak Creek
A few days ago, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, along with Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of the Diocese of Brooklyn, released a commentary on the Feast of St. Vincent DePaul. For those who placed Cardinal Dolan in the camp of partisan Republican bishops along with Bishops Robert Morlino, Earl Boyea, Thomas Paprocki, Samuel Aquila, William Lori, and Charles… Read More Dolan and DiMarzio: Government Must Do More to Help Those in Need
How can teachers unions be engines of change and progress? This question is vital as unions look to define their role in the 21st century. Today, unions’ roles have changed. Many unions are no longer fighting battles for a 40-hour work week, healthcare, or vacation time. They are no longer struggling against child labor and… Read More How Can Teachers Unions Be Engines of Progress?
In 2008, Fariba Kamalabadi, the mother of a friend and former classmate, was arrested by Iranian officials and taken to Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison. She was accused of “espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities, and propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Her real crime: her position in the Yaran, the leadership of Iran’s Baha’i… Read More The age of martyrs is still with us
Once upon a time, boys and girls used to approach a video game console, turn it on, and practice manipulating a two-dimensional frog across a street in order to get their thrills. Today, the stakes have changed: we have only one life to start with, the screen is smaller, and what is on the screen… Read More Frogger, John of the Cross, and Embodied Love
Post-convention quarterbacking is largely over, but there will be no shortage of serious dinner table conversations this fall about the parties, platforms, and candidates. Given the range of political beliefs among Catholics, our homes will be filled with such discussions. There is more than a tinge of irony though as spouses, siblings, and friends choose… Read More Religion at the Dinner Table: Still Bad Manners?
Am I my sister’s keeper? Sister Simone Campbell asked that question recently at the Democratic National Convention. Personally, as much as I tend to focus on the broad outlines of policies and laws or philosophize about the true nature of the common good, sometimes it comes down to pretty literal questions. Over the past few… Read More Am I My Sister’s Keeper?
Millennial 